Golf game



May 22, 1,934. A R THOMAS 1,959,882

GLF GAME Filed Jan. 30. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 22 1934 y A. R. THoMAs1,959,882

GOLF GAME Filed Jan, 30, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fn d@ 47 f6 a6 M Il L l I"II, '-IIIJHI, IIHIIHI il 23a Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES FTENTCFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements Yin golf games of the type to beused in the home or out-doors, Where putting practice may be hadrequiring about the same stroke that is required on the golf course, andwhich may be played by a number of people at the same time.

An important feature of my invention is to construct a golf game that isportable, strong and durable, which may be manufactured at a low cost,and which may be readily assembled or taken apart for shipping purposes.

Another object is to provide a golf game having a plurality ofball-rolling surfaces, some of which have cup simulating openingstherein, and a ball-rolling surface having an arched back wall to causea ball played up to the back wall to loop around an inclined plate andthus roll forward to a ball collector.

A further object is to construct a golf game having a plurality ofinclined ball rolling surfaces provided with cup simulating openings andchutes or runways, communicating with the openings, to direct a ballfrom the openings te e. 'ball collector.

A still further object is to provide a cushioned top rail overhangingthe inclined surfaces and .a bafe or deflector plate vfixed to the toprail over the openings in .the inclined surface, so that la ball playedup to the ballie or dellector will rebound through the opening in theinclined surface, while a ball played clear of the baille will vstrikethe cushioned rail, rebound down the in- .cline `and return to theplayer.

In the drawings forming Ya part of this invention,

Figure 1 is atop plan View of the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device;

,Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device, as viewed from the back;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line {5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View similar to Fig. 5 illustrating amodified form of guard for the ball collector, and

Fig. l7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line '7--7 of Fig. l2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a main central portion havingside walls 11 and 12, respectively, and an inclined surface or bottomwall 13 extending rearwardly into an arched back wall 14 and forwardinto a top wall 15. An inclined plate 16 is fixed to the side walls 11and l2 and extends from the front thereof to a point v17 spaced from thearched back wall 14 to form a passage therebetween.

A ball collector 18 having a receiving end 18a is vInovably supported atthe forward end of the inclined plate 16 by means of a pair of arms 19vpivotally mounted on the side walls 11 and 12. Spaced from the inclinedplate 16 and aligned with the side walls 11 and 12 is a ball stop 20having a pair of pins 21 on either side engaging bayonet slots 22 in theside walls, so that the ball stop 20 may be readily removed.

When a ball is played up the inclined surface 13 and has enough momentumto be carried around the arched back wall 14, it will strike the ballstop 20, fall on the inclined plate 16 and roll into the ball collector18 through the receiving end 18a. The arched back wall 14 is providedwith a proper curvature to cause the ball to be carried around the end17 of plate 16 and move forwardly along a line represented substantiallyby the arrows 14; so as to strike plate L20 and drop upon the forwardend of inclined plate 4 16.

Side walls 1 1 and 12 each have an opening 11a therein, the bottom ofwhich is aligned with the rearward end ofthe inclined plate 16.

A .pair of arcuate'platesv23 and 24 are provided `witlri'side vwalls 23aand 24a securedthereto. The

inner or face ends of plates 23 and 24v are provided with cleat`s`25adapted to engage U-shaped cleats 26 disposed on the outside of walls1'1 and 12 o f the main central portion 10.

Arcuate plates 23 and 24 are thus removably :held in an inclinedposition on the side walls.,

However, supporting brackets 27 are removably lsecured to cleats 28-28on the arcuate plates and tothe cleats 29-29 on the side walls 11 and 12to lock the arcuate plates rigidly in position.

.Inclined arcuate plates 23 and 24 are provided with cup simulatingopenings 30 and 30, respectively, adjacent their upper ends, and anoverhanging rail or stop 32-32 extending the entire length of the topedge. A baie or delector plate 33 is secured to the overhanging railabove each of the cup simulating openings in the inclined arcuateplates. These baliles or deflector plates 33 are preferably dished orcupped as at 34, see Fig. 3, so that when a ball is played up theinclined arcuate plates 23-24 to the deflector plate 33, the dished orcupped portion 34 will cause the ball to rebound through the cupsimulating opening 30.

On the rear of the arcuate plates 23-24, I provide U-shaped cleats 25a.adapted to receive L- shaped cleats rigidly secured to chutes 36, whichhave bottom walls 37 and curved baci: walls 38. These chutes 36communicate with the cup simulating openings 30 to direct a ballreceived from the latter through opening 11a in the side walls ll and 12onto the inclined plate 16 to the ball collector 18.

A cushion 39 of relatively resilient material is fixed to the undersideof the overhanging rails or stops 32-32 on either side of baille ordeflector plates 33-33 to cause a ball to rebound down the inclinedarcuate plates 23-24 when a ball is played up the incline and clear ofthe baflies.

The ball-rolling surfaces 13-14 and 23-24 and the chutes 36 and theinclined plate 16 and ball collector 18 may be covered with a thin layerof felt or other suitable material, so that the balls may roll verysilently to the ball collector, thereby eliminating metallic-like soundcaused by the rolling of a ball.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a modified form of ball stop designated as awhole as 40. This ball stop 40 consists of a bail 41 of a substantiallyU- shape having side members 42 and a front member 43. The free ends ofthe side members 42 are turned inwardly and downwardly as at 44, toengage bayonet slots 45 in the side walls 11 and 12. A screen or wirecloth 46 is xed to the bail 4l and adapted to surround the ballcollector 18 so that a ball played up the incline 13 around the archedback wall 14 to the screen 46 will be directed to the ball collector.

Fixed to the top wall 14 of the main unit 10 is a handle 4'? tofacilitate the handling or placing terity on the part of the players.

One of the advantages of the device disclosed herein is that the ballsplayed up to the inclined walls 23 and 24 and not entering openings 30are caused to be returned down the incline in the direction of theplayer, thereby not requiring the player to walk needlessly about torecover the balls driven during the play. Side Walls 23a and 24a assurethe balls a proper direction of return and prevent them from rollingover the sides or being deected out of the path of play. The unit isself-contained in a simple and inexpensive structure and furnishes avariety of interesting putt-shots requiring considerable skill andaccuracy.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements all such changes,variations and departures from what is thus specifically illustrated anddescribed herein as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. In a golf game comprising, in combination, a plurality of inclinedball rolling surfaces having an opening for receiving a ball insimulation of a golf cup at their upper ends, a ball collector eX-teriorly of said inclined surfaces, an inclined plate coacting with oneof said inclined 1call rolling surfaces to direct a ball to the ballcollector, and chutes communicating with the other openings in theinclined surfaces to direct a ball when played through said openings tothe ball collector.

2. A golf game comprising a unit adapted to be placed on a relativelysmooth surface and having a plurality of inclined ball rolling surfaceswith cup simulating openings adjacent the upper ends of said inclinedsurfaces to provide ball rolling surfaces as an approach to the cupsimulating openings, a ball collector positioned centrally of said unit,chutes communicating with said cup simulating openings to direct a ballfrom the openings to said ball collector, stop means adjacent the upperend of said inclined surfaces extending the entire length thereof, andbaille plates xed to said stop means and positioned above the openingsin said inclined surfaces to cause a ball to rebound through the openingwhen they ball is played up to the baffle.

3. A golf game comprising a unit adapted to be placed on a relativelysmooth surface and provided with an inclined ball rolling surfacecentrally thereof, an inclined arcuate ball rolling surface adjacenteither side thereof and having their forward edges aligned with saidcentral inclined surface, a cup simulating opening adjacent the upperend of said inclined arcuate surfaces, a ball collector positioned aboveand forwardly of said central inclined surface, an inclined plateparallel with and spaced above said central inclined surface to direct aball to said ball collector, chutes communicating with saidcup-simulating openings and said inclined plate to direct a ball fromsaid openings to said ball collector, and stop means coacting with saidball collector tc direct the ball to the ball collector.

4. A golf game comprising a unit having side Walls with openings thereinadapted to be placed on a surface and provided with a centrally locatedinclined ball rolling surface extending rearwardly into an arched backwall, a top wall, an inclined plate interposed between the inclined ballrolling surface and the top wall fixed to the side walls below theopenings in the side walls and spaced from the back wall to form apassageway for a ball therebetween, a ball collector positionedforwardly of the inclined plate, a pair of inclined arcuate ball-rollingsurfaces each having an end wall and provided with means for removablysecuring them with their front edges aligned with the inclined surface,cup simulating openings adjacent the upper edge of said inclined arcuatesurfaces, chutes removably secured to the rearward side of the inclinedarcuate ball l rolling surfaces and communicating with said cupsimulating openings to direct a ball through the opening in the sidewalls down the inclined plate to the ball collector.

5. A golf game of the character described comprising a main memberhaving side walls with openings therein, an inclined bottom wall merginginto an arched rear wall, a top wall, an inclined plate iixed to theside walls below the openings in said side walls and spaced from thearched rear wall and the inclined bottom wall to form a passageway for aball around said inclined plate, a ball collector extending forwardly ofthe inclined plate on said main member, a

pair of inclined arcuate plates having cup simi ulating openings at theupper end thereof, chutes removably secured to the inclined arcuateplates communicating with the cup simulating openings and the openingsin the side walls to direct a ball from the cup simulating openings tothe ball collector, and bracket reinforcing means between the inclinedarcuated plates and the side walls to removably secure them together.

6. A golf game of the character described comprising a central memberhaving side walls with .i

openings therein, an inclined bottom wall merging into an arched rearwall, a top wall, an inclined platform secured to the side walls andhaving its rearward end spaced from the arched rear wall to form apassageway for a ball therebe- Llmame` tween, a ball collector extendingforwardly of the inclined platform, ball stop means coacting with theinclined platform and said ball collector to direct a ball to the ballcollector, a pair of inclined arcuate plates having cup simulatingopenings at the upper end thereof and secured to the central member withtheir forward edges aligned with said central member, and chutescommunicating with said cup simulating openings and the openings in saidside walls to direct a ball from said cup simulating openings to theball collector.

'7. In a golf game comprising, in combination, a plurality of inclinedball rolling surfaces having an opening for receiving a ball insimulation of a golf cup at their upper ends, a ball collector, aninclined plate coacting with one of said inclined ball rolling surfacesto direct a ball to the ball collector, chutes communicating with theopenings in the inclined surfaces to direct a ball when played throughsaid openings to the ball collector, and ball stop means overhanging theinclined ball rolling surfaces adjacent their upper ends, said ball stopmeans causing the ball to rebound down the inclined ball rolling surfaceto return to the player when the ball is played on the inclined surfaceand clear of the openings.

8. In a golf game comprising, in combination, a plurality of ballrolling surfaces having cup simulating openings at their upper ends, aball co1- lector, an inclined plate coacting with one of said inclinedball rolling surfaces to direct a ball to the ball collector, chutescommunicating with the cup simulating' openings in the other inclinedsurfaces to direct a ball from the openings to the ball collector, ballstop means overhanging the inclined surfaces adjacent their upper ends,deflector plates fixed to said ball stop means and extending forwardlyover said cup simulating openings so as to form a deiiector for a ballwhen the ball is played up to the deflector plates, and a cushionextending the entire length of the ball stop means on either side of thedeector plates causing a ball played up the inclined ball rollingsurfaces and clear of the deflector plates to strike the cushion andrebound down the inclined surface to the player.

9. A golf game comprising a unit adapted to be placed on a relativelysmooth surface and having a plurality of inclined ball rolling surfaceswith cup simulating openings adjacent the upper ends of said inclinedsurfaces to provide ball rolling surfaces as an approach to thecupsimulating openings, a ball collector positioned centrally andextending forwardly of said unit, chutes communicating with saidcup-simulating openings to direct a ball from the openings to said ballcollector, ball stop means overhanging the inclined surfaces adjacenttheir upper ends, and deflector plates fixed to said ball stop means andextending forwardly over said cup simulating openings so as to form adelector for a ball when the ball is played up to the deflector plates,said ball stop means returning the ball when the ball is played up thearcuate inclined surfaces and clear of the delector plates.

ALVIN R. THOMAS.

